Famous Monsters is making a star-studded comic book anthology of weird & terrifying tales in honor of Forry Ackerman's 100th Birthday!

The year 2016 marks what would have been the late Forrest J Ackerman's 100th Birthday. Famous Monsters and its comic book publishing imprint, American Gothic Press (AGP), are celebrating Forry's centennial with an original hardcover anthology called TALES FROM THE ACKER-MANSION, to be released in October at our ALIEN CON event in Silicon Valley, CA!

Who Is Forry?

Forrest J Ackerman is the founding father of the iconic Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine (est. 1958). For many people growing up in the '60s and '70s, Famous Monsters was their only insight into the world of filmmaking and special effects, and the magazine holds a very special place in the heart of many genre filmmakers and storytellers, including the likes of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, Tim Burton, James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, and Stephen King.

But Forry's legacy extends far beyond the realm of Famous Monsters magazine. Uncle Forry, as many called him, was a compassionate collector of memorabilia, and allowed all manners of people to visit his home and share his love of imagination. He was the very first cosplayer when he wore a Spaceman costume from THINGS TO COME to the 1939 World Science Fiction convention. He encouraged fandom and a love for science fiction by serving as literary agent to many of the genre greats, including Ray Bradbury and L. Ron Hubbard. He's even credited for inventing the term "Sci-Fi".

Through his fostering of fan interaction and genre enthusiasm, Forry became the virtual godfather of current cultural geekery. Your conventions, cosplay clubs, anime news networks, and gaming tournaments all owe something to Forrest J Ackerman.

Above all, Forry appreciated good storytelling and the skills it takes to create good stories, whether that be tacking hair onto a werewolf or staying up past midnight with a pen in your hand. And to that end, we bring you TALES FROM THE ACKER-MANSION, a collection of comic stories and art pieces from contributors around the world that we feel Forry would have been proud of.

Why Comics?

Comic books have always been an important part of Famous Monsters' publishing history. When the magazine was launched in 1958, it shared the Warren magazine imprint with two other popular publications: Creepy and Eerie, both of which came to boast iconic black and white comic book tales by the likes of Frank Frazetta, Alex Toth, Wally Wood, Richard Corben, and Bernie Wrightson. In 1969, Forry and Trina Robbins created Vampirella, who remains one of the most enduring comic book characters of all time. Forry was also one of the very first guests at San Diego Comic-Con and encouraged comic book culture throughout his life. So it seems only fitting that a tribute to "Dr. Acula" include both imaginative stories and breathtaking artwork.